Acts Part 5

Acts 1:4-5 records Christ commanding the apostles not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father. Jesus had already told them about this promise during His ministry. The Holy Spirit would be given to them in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, equipping them with power from above. Luke 24:49 records Christ’s instruction:

“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” 

Christ explains that John baptized with water, but they would soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit. John’s baptism involved immersion in water and pictured repentance and the remission of sins. Luke 3:3 says John went throughout the region around the Jordan,

“preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”

Christ was telling the apostles that they would soon receive the Holy Spirit, an event that would take place on Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2. 

In Acts 1:6 the apostles asked Jesus,

“Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

They were expecting the restoration of Israel, including self-rule without a foreign power ruling over them. At this point, they were still understanding the Kingdom of God in the context of the kingdom of Israel and the monarchy under King David. 

Matthew 19:28 records Jesus telling the apostles that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, those who had followed Him would also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. This helps explain why the apostles were asking about the restoration of Israel. 

Jesus responded that it was not for them to know the times or seasons that the Father had placed under His own authority (Acts 1:7). This is an important reminder when considering attempts to calculate or predict the date of Christ’s return. The Father determines the timing, and Christ did not give the apostles a date. 

The apostles had asked a similar question in Matthew 24:3, asking Jesus about the signs of His coming and the end of the age. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus explained,

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” 

Jesus provided a framework of signs that would occur before His return, but He did not provide a date. We should therefore be cautious about looking at current events and making forecasts or predictions about when Christ will return. Instead, we need to remain spiritually ready. The parables that follow in Matthew 24 and 25, including the parable of the ten virgins and the parable of the talents, reinforce the importance of being prepared and faithful. 

Jesus redirected the apostles’ attention from the timing of His return to the work they were being commanded to do. He told them they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and would become His witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8). This promise was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit was given on the Day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts 2. 

The command to be witnesses was specifically given to the apostles. An apostle is one sent by Christ to deliver His message. We see the importance of being an eyewitness when the apostles selected a replacement for Judas Iscariot. The person chosen needed to have been with Jesus from the time of John the Baptist through Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. 

The Greek word translated witness is martus (Strong’s G3144), meaning a witness or an eyewitness who has seen or heard something. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament explains that the word martyr comes from this same Greek word. The apostles bore witness to Jesus’ life, instructions, death, and resurrection, even when doing so brought persecution and death. 

Christ’s instructions also provided a broad outline for the spread of the Gospel. It would begin in Jerusalem, extend throughout Judea and Samaria, and eventually reach the ends of the earth. This showed that the message would go beyond the descendants of Israel and would not be limited to the context of restoring the physical kingdom of Israel. The apostles were being commissioned to carry Christ’s message outward to the world. 

Acts of the Apostles is a course taught at ABC by Mr. Darris McNeely. Recordings from the 2022–2023 class year are available on the ABC website.

UYA Team | uya@ucg.org  

United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.